VOICE Success

Friends, V.O.I.C.E. had a great success today in Western Fairfax. Over 350 people from St. John Neumann, UU Reston, Trinity Presbyterian, and N. VA Hebrew COngregation, along with St. Thomas a Becket and a scattering of representation from V.O.I.C.E. congregations in Fairfax & Arlington (UUCF, UUCA, Fairfax Presbyterian & St. Mary of Sorrows were sighted!)  announced that V.O.I.C.E. has put some new power on the map in Western Fairfax County.

Leaders at St. John Neumann have led the effort since May to raise $200,000 to put a full-time dentist in the N. VA Dental CLinic in Sterling using private funds. They have worked with VOICE Dental Team leader Joe Pettit, and came into today's action with a $100,000 anonymous challenge grant, and $40,000 already pledged to match it.

GOOD LESSON:  Organized People, PLUS Organized Money delivered!!!

Today Sen. Janet Howell and Chairman Sharon Bulova brought in another $10,000 from INOVA and pledged their support to the effort. Congratulations to this broad-based group of mostly new leaders. St. John Neumann alone turned out over 200 people, many of them Spanish speaking and the entire action was bi-lingual with a talented team of translators from within the congregations. More to come but for now thanks to leaders from these congregations; they are leading the way in achieving the V.O.I.C.E. 2011 goals of MORE LOCAL ACTION to deliver on our V.O.I.C.E. agenda.

Kathleen O'Toole, Senior Organizer, V.O.I.C.E.

Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF)  www.voice-iaf.org